A Culture Is Not a Costume

Cultural appropriation occurs when people take elements from a culture that is not their own and use them without understanding or respecting the elements’ original meaning. For many Native Americans, the appropriation of sacred symbols and the propagation of stereotypes have become all-too-common recurrences in sports, film, media, advertising, and toys. However, such iterations are not accurate representations of living, breathing cultures and are instead a reminder of historic oppression at the hands of colonizers.

Widespread examples of cultural exploitation also lie within the fashion industry through its explicit use of Indigenous traditions in commercial clothing design. From Paris Fashion Week and Halloween costumes to the interior displays of common retail stores all over the world, the use of traditional Native American stitching, woven patterns, beading, fringing, and feathering has been controversial within the industry and corresponding media coverage.

Likewise, language and word choices are important considerations. Phrases like “savage,” “too many chiefs, not enough Indians,” “on the warpath,” “New World,” and “low man on the totem pole” carry negative connotations to many people.

A Culture Is Not a Costume is based on Understanding the Differences Between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation, a traveling exhibition organized by the Akwesasne Cultural Center, located twenty-five miles from Canton. Selected artworks from St. Lawrence University’s permanent collection are also included in the exhibition.

Image: Jean de Paléologue, Cleveland Cycles, lithograph, ca. 1898.